Cambage enjoying Chinese challenge

Guy Hand

Australian basketballer Liz Cambage admits her Chinese adventure is proving a massive culture shock, but on the whole an enjoyable one.

Cambage is dominating in China for her club Zhejiang Golden Bulls, tipping in 45 and 39 points in successive matches.

She is being well paid to do so, on a four-month deal understood to be around $100,000 a month which would make her close to the world's highest-paid female basketballer.

Advertisement

But it's a balancing act for the 21-year-old with all the talent in the world, yet living half a world away from home.

"The food's No.1 that I struggle with - I'm over dumplings," Cambage told AAP from her base near Hangzhou in eastern China.

"Being so far away from home, you get a bit homesick and the only person I can really talk to is my translator.

"Only one other girl in the team speaks English. It's hard, it's lonely."

Frequent visits from her mother, boyfriend and family have been a huge help.

Cambage says her club - currently with a 5-3 win-loss record and in the competition's top four - has treated her "really, really well" and ensured her visitors have even been welcomed on road trips.

As refreshingly down-to-earth as one who is six-foot-eight can be, Cambage's ascent to Lauren Jackson-like heights was always predicted.

But her sensational Olympic Games as Australia won a bronze medal brought worldwide fame as she became one of just a handful of women to dunk at the elite level.

The requests for her to dunk in a game, or relive the moment, are as frequent in China as the questionable hometown refereeing decisions which Cambage says makes winning on the road in the league near-impossible.

Following a Chinese season which finishes in February, the University Games next year are a possibility, as well as perhaps a return to the WNBA with Tulsa, who hold her rights.

The challenges in China may be plentiful, but Cambage isn't ruling out a return there next season.

And she admits short-term, a return to Australia's WNBL is not on her radar.

"The money here in China is just too good to be honest," says Cambage, whose mother and grandmother will spend Christmas with her at the hotel in which she is living.

"It is hard. but you've got to do what you've got to do. I'm being treated so well over here. I'm putting up big points every game. It's a good life."